New Traditions
by allthestripes
Summary: Cartman is struggling with his relationships. Which ones? Well, all of them. But maybe Kyle can help. (Kyman)


**First off, I don't even like Kyman. So why am I doing this, you ask? My darling love is a fan of it, and I'm a fan of them, so here's the special fic I wrote them for Christmas last year. Also working on some new chapter Creek stories, so stay tuned for those.**

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If there was one thing Cartman hated more than anything, it was being unsure. It drove him crazy. He was used to having all the answers, or if not all, a good enough idea of what was going on he could figure out the rest. Maybe that was what he found to alluring about Kyle. He was something he couldn't pick apart. Just when it felt like he was making process, putting a dent into the other, Kyle's entire demeanor would shift, leaving him right back at the start.

The holidays were another thing that had been driving him nuts lately. After the whole Jewpacabra incident, he had been honest when he had told Kyle he believed in Judaism. He still shuttered at the memory of the nightmare he had had that showed him the way. Ugh. Poor frogs.

That said, he hadn't told his mother. What would she think? He doubted she'd be mad, Hell, she probably wouldn't even do anything about it, but it just felt... wrong. He knew the one family he could go to, but the whole point of the holiday was to be with your family and celebrate the freeing of the Hebrew people. It wasn't like he was dating Kyle...

He didn't know how he ended up on the Broflovski doorstep. It was cold, late, and the wind was blowing hard through the empty streets, the area lit only by the spare streetlamps and the glowing windows of the surrounding houses, decorated by soft Christmas lights.

The Broflovski's had decorated as well, trimming the house in blue lights, a few Hanukkah decals stuck to the windows. Cartman could see the menorah sitting peacefully in the front window. It was dark at the moment. Hanukkah didn't start until tomorrow.

He raised his hand to knock but paused. What was he supposed to say to whoever opened the door? Letting out a sigh, he turned to head back down the path. He should head home-

"Cartman?"

He jerked in surprise, looking up at the house. Kyle was leaning out one of the upstairs windows, watching him in confusion.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Uh, leaving?" Cartman said, glancing towards the sidewalk. "That's a dumb question, Kyle."

The other rolled his eyes, groaning in exasperation. "Don't be a dick, fat boy. Come up here, the doors open." With this, Kyle retreated, shutting his window once more. Cartman hesitated, then did as told.

Ike was sitting on the couch, watching a movie. He didn't react to the other in the slightest, allowing Cartman to head upstairs undetected by the Broflovski parents in the kitchen having tea.

Kyle was sitting at his desk when he entered, staring at him. He shut the door behind him, standing by it awkwardly.

"Well, are you going to come over here, or are you going to be weird over there?" Kyle finally asked after a full minute of silence.

"Why did you tell me to come up here?" Cartman responded, peering at his friend of sorts curiously. "You never want me in your house."

"Maybe I felt bad for you, standing out there in the cold. It's like ten o'clock, why are you creeping outside my house, anyway?"

"Ugh, I'm just gonna go-"

"Wait!" Cartman stopped, his hand on the doorknob, looking over. "Wait..." Kyle sighed. "Just stay, dude. I've wanted to talk to you about something."

Cartman turned, moving to sit on the bed, Kyle turning in his desk chair to follow the movement. "What, uh, what do you want to talk about?" he asked, shifting under the intense gaze.

"I wanted to talk about you and your relationship with the Jewish faith."

He blinked at him. Well, this wasn't what he had been expecting. "...what?"

"A few years ago, you told me you believed. I believed you then."

"Do you not now?"

Kyle shrugged slightly. "I don't know. I haven't seen you try to follow the faith, but at the same time, I know you. I can't tell if it's because those feelings faded, or you just have no one to show you." He got to his feet, moving to sit beside him. "And I'm starting to feel it's the latter."

Cartman wasn't sure what to say to this. What were the chances of this really happening the same day he was thinking of it? God, there Kyle went again, scrambling his brain and making him unsure of things.

"What if you're wrong?" he asked, internally kicking himself for his automatically smarmy answer.

"Then it's back to business as usual and I'll see you when school starts back in January," Kyle said plainly with a shrug.

He swallowed before saying, "And if you're right?"

Kyle was quiet for a moment, then Cartman felt the other take his hand. "Then I want to be there for you. This is a difficult time of year to be alone. If you want to really be part of this religion, then... you should experience a real Hanukkah. With us."

He stared at Kyle before speaking. "But... what about it being a family time?"

"Listen, I'm... willing to stretch the definition a bit. You may not be blood related, but we're family through God. My parents will be alright with it, the more the merrier, after all."

An odd sense of warmth filled Cartman's chest. He was hit with a deep feeling of belonging, sitting in Kyle's bedroom with the other. This... This was where he belonged.

Kyle's grip on his hand tightened slightly. "Cart- Eric. I'm really glad you came to me. I wasn't sure how to bring it up. I didn't want to guilt you into it or anything. I wanted you get here on your own. I'm... I'm proud of you, dude." He smiled at him gently. "I know it's not anything like the Christmases you're used to, but I'll do my best to make it just as memorable."

"Thanks, Kyle." There was that weird feeling in his stomach again. It had been happening a lot around the other lately. He didn't understand it, it made him feel almost ill, but... it wasn't bad? Ugh, his confusingness needed to just stop. It was going to drive him insane.

"Hanukkah starts tomorrow," Kyle said. "Did you know?" When Cartman nodded, he smiled brightly. "Do you know why it goes eight days?"

"Uh, something about lamp oil?"

"Let me explain."

The next few hours, Cartman listened to Kyle explain about the holiday. He found himself enthralled, focused on every word out of the other's mouth. It was far more interesting than he had thought it would be, definitely more than the fake reason for Christmas.

As he listened to Kyle, he was struck by another realization. Now that he was really listening with the intention of understanding and learning, he discovered a deep sense of peace as Kyle talked. Something about the Jewish religion... it was reassuring. It had a feeling of warmth he had never gotten from Christianity. He was thinking he had for sure made the right choice going to Kyle. Already he felt welcome. He didn't have to "earn" anything, he didn't have to "accept" anything. He could just... believe. And that was enough.


End file.
